Tia's Story: After the Island
by bowmaiden
Summary: Tia's Story returns after the finale of Lost. The crew who escaped the Island after the defeat of The Man in Black try to start their lives over with a return to civilization. Now Tia battles for custody of Ji Yeon as Sawyer tries to convince Cassidy that he can take care of Clementine. They have to work together to achieve their goals in more ways than one. On temporary hiatus.
1. What Will I Do?

"You're not going to win this case," Duncan Forrester told me.

"You don't understand," I argued. "I have to. You don't know this man. You don't know the crimes he's committed. I can't let that child stay with him."

"The mother trusted him. Why can't you?"

I laughed at Duncan's ignorance. Sun never trusted her father. Duncan never knew Sun. He doesn't know what she would want. "I can't let her grow up in that environment. Paik is an animal. He's responsible for sixty percent of the crime in South Korea. Why can't we use that against him?"

"You could try, but all that would do is gain you one hell of a powerful enemy. The Korean government isn't going to grant a child of their country to an American and take her away from their family. Is Woo-Jung Paik really someone you want on your bad side?"

"Duncan, I don't care. Kate said I could trust you. So I'm trusting you to get this done. What do I have to do to get custody of Ji Yeon?"

He takes a deep breath. "There's no way any social worker, Korean or not, is going to grant you custody, no matter what I do. You're not married. You're a full-time student with no source of income—,"

"I'm a twenty-six year old self-made millionaire. Is income really an issue?"

"It wouldn't be, if Paik didn't have twice the amount of income that you do."

"But Duncan—,"

"The fact of the matter is that in Korea, the male automatically takes custody. I know it's not fair, but that's how it works. The only way you're going to win is if you can get married, get a job, and strike some kind of deal with Paik. There's no way he's just going to grant you custody without getting something his way."

I grab my left temple and rub. "Is there any advantage I have in this?"

"You have Sun's will. She clearly states that you are the one granted custody in the situation of her death. There may be one other thing."

"And that is?"

"You and Paik have history. You were partners during your running of Samuels Investments. You never wronged him. You never forced him to do things your way when you clearly could have. The fact that Sun also named you her successor to managing director of Paik Heavy Industries—,"

"What!" I exclaim. "What are you talking about?"

"You didn't know this?" Duncan asks, pulling Sun's will out of his bag and handing it to me.

I flip through the pages. I had only ever looked at the custody agreements. But there it is. Proof that I could potentially take over as the managing director of Paik Heavy Industries. I smile at the paper. "We've got him, Duncan. There's no way Paik would allow this. He would certainly grant me custody if I promised to give him this back."

"Woah, slow down," Duncan says. "This is still a matter of Korean law. You're not getting custody unless you adopt her. And you're not adopting her unless you're married and steadily employed.

I sink back into my chair. Easier said than done.

* * *

Back home, I slam into my couch and grab my laptop. Trying to win custody and keeping an expert GPA in med school is killing me. I open my folder on equine science and read over my homework.

"That you, Brown Eyes?" James asks. He's taken to living in my guest room since we got back, but most nights he ends up beside me in my bed, his nightmares of Juliet a continuous haunting.

"Yeah," I call to him, his voice having come from the kitchen. James wasn't the best cook, but he was better than me. I can't boil an egg.

"More homework?" he asks, coming out of the doorway and handing me a beer.

"You have no idea," I say, accepting the drink and taking a long gulp.

"Am I allowed to ask how the meeting went?"

I take a deep breath and place my laptop back on the coffee table. "I'm not gonna win." I say, admitting defeat for the first time.

"That's impossible!" James shouts. "You're so great with Eliza! And you're the only reason Cassidy lets Clementine stay over."

"Being good with kids isn't the reason," I explain. "It's because I'm unemployed."

James scoffs. "You're rich as hell."

"And because I'm not married," I say, and his face turns a bright red. I should have known this would embarrass James. He told me he had bought a ring for Juliet. He was going to marry her. I look at the picture of Boone and myself when we were toddlers. "Not like I'd ever find anyone, anyway."

There's a pause as I sip my beer. Then James says the last thing I ever expect him to. "What about me?"

My head shoots up. James is looking at me, his face still a bright red. I laugh. "Nice one," I joke.

"I ain't joking," he says, dead serious. He moves beside me on the couch. "I've been thinking about it for a while. We've been living together for four months and it works. We don't have to be physical or nothing. And if Cassidy thinks I've settled down, I'll get to see Clementine more often. Plus, think of the look on Freckle's face when we tell her."

I'm speechless. Finally, I find my voice. "This is an amazing gesture, James," I say. "But getting married doesn't just solve our problems. There are other complications and I still wouldn't have a job."

"I'll get a job. I'll get us some income." His face is no longer red. His gray eyes hold a determined look. "Brown Eyes, Sun trusted you to take care of her kid. You have to win." He gets off the couch and kneels down in front of me. "What do you say, Brown Eyes? Will you marry me?"


	2. Flashback: We Need a Plan

"None of the navigation systems are working," Miles says to us. "So the first bit of land we see, we're taking the plane down."

He's the first to talk since we took off from the Island. I feel Sawyer's grip on my hand slacken, but I squeeze it back into place, not ready for him to let go.

Sawyer looks out the window at the ocean below us. "What are you thinking?" I ask him.

"Ya'll lied to the world. Told everyone that Claire and I were dead. How are we gonna be able to live if the world thinks we're dead?"

I squeeze his hand again. "We'll figure it out."

As I say this, the plane starts to descend. Frank must have found land. Miles comes back into the cabin. "We're out of fuel. Lapidus found a small island to ditch the plane. He's got a life raft in the cockpit. We can take it to a populated Island."

I look over at Kate who has a nauseated look on her face. I can understand why. Six of the Oceanic Seven take off on a plane to Guam and only two come back? How are we going to explain this to the world? I told Sawyer we'd figure it out, but what if we can't?

The trees of the small island come up around us as Lapidus lands the plane. I'm squeezing Sawyer's hand again as we hit land. I hear a splash of water and assume there wasn't enough room for Frank to land the plane.

"C'mon, Brown Eyes," Sawyer says, grabbing my hand and pulling me to the door of the plane. The water has slowed us down, but the plane is still moving into the water.

"What are you waiting for?" Frank yells, coming out of the cockpit with a life raft strung over his shoulder. "Get your asses out of this plane!"

I make the first jump, letting go of Sawyer's hand for the first time since we took off, falling into the water. Sawyer drops down beside me, followed by Kate, Claire, Miles, Richard, and Frank.

We swim to the shore of the island and rest as we watch the plane sink into the water. It takes about an hour and a half before someone decides to say something. Richard breaks the silence as the sun starts to fall. "Does anyone have a plan?"

"We need to call Penny," Kate says. I thank God someone else was thinking of solving the problem before me.

"Who the hell is Penny?" Miles asks.

"Desmond's wife," I answer. "She got us out f this mess the first time. She can help again."

"We don't even know if Desmond's alive," Sawyer points out. "And now you want to go calling his wife?"

"If Locke got the chance, he would have killed Desmond," Claire tells us. "He would have killed everyone."

"Including Widmore," Richard says. "Is this his daughter, Penelope?"

"Yeah," I answer. "But she's nothing like him. She's great. And she'll be able to help us."

"But if her father's dead—," Miles asks.

"She hated her father," I explain. "Trust me. We have no identification, no passports. And even if we did, we were supposed to have crashed a week ago," I motion to Frank and Kate. "You've been off the radar for God knows how many years," I say to Richard. "And you three are presumed dead," I end with Sawyer, Claire, and Miles. "We need someone with resources, who knows how to go off the grid. Penny Hume knows what to do."

"Actually, you're wrong," Richard says, and we all turn to him. "I haven't been off the radar. Granted, I don't have identification or a passport, but Jacob created an identity for me. Ben had an identity, Dean Moriarty. I have access to a bank account if we can get to Fiji."

"So we get your money and you're okay. What about the rest of us?" Miles asks.

"Fiji is home to multiple people who specialize in identification theft. We get everyone new identities and get to the states. Then we work to convince people Frank, Tia, and Kate weren't on that Ajirah plane. Claire, James, and Miles, you'll all need new identities. That's our solution."

"I still think we should call Penny," Kate says. "She deserves to know what happened."

"We don't even know if Desmond's alive," Sawyer says. "Smokey and the Doc left him in that hole."

"Let's rest for the night," Richard suggests. "Maybe Jack can send us some kind of sign."

"Hate to break it to you, Richard," Sawyer says. "But you missed the knife Smokey put in the Doc's breadbasket. If Ben was able to kill Jacob with a knife, there's no way the Doc could have survived."

Kate lets out a breath, stands, and walks away. Claire follows her. "I'm gonna go get some firewood," Miles says, heading in a different direction than the girls.

After a few minutes, I turn to Sawyer. "Do you think he's really dead?"

"The Doc? Don't know how he could be." He pauses as he looks at me. "You really that upset? Thought you hated Jack."

"I did," I say, choosing my words carefully. "But if the Island really is what Jacob said it was, why would it just let Jack die? After all he did to save it…it's not fair."

Richard pipes up. "Jacob didn't choose his job, but he gave you all an option?" Sawyer and I nod. "Maybe it's not the kind of job you volunteer for. Maybe the Island chooses you, not the other way around."

Miles returns with firewood and Richard expertly starts a fire with no matches. Kate and Claire return with fruit. Everyone sits in silence as the sun disappears completely, munching on fruit. After about half an hour of darkness, a loud screech is heard above us. "Did that bird just say 'Hurley'?" Claire asks.

"Ignore it," Richard says. "They were bread by the DHARMA Initiative. Hundreds have escaped the Island."

"What do you think happened to Hurley?" Frank asks. "The Island had stopped shaking by the time we took off. Was anyone else still on the Island?"

"Ben stayed behind," I say. "Said if the Island went down, he was going down with it."

"Rose and Bernard too," Sawyer says. "They've been living in the jungle since the time flashes."

The bird screeches again, my reflexes sending my head upward, towards the noise. It really does sound like the bird is saying "Hurley".

"That son of a bitch better shut up before I make it," Sawyer threatens.

But the bird doesn't screech again. As the fire dims, we all rest out heads on the small island's sand and fall asleep.


	3. Kate Gets Mad

"You're doing what?" Kate yelled at me.

"I think it's sweet of him," Claire says from the couch.

"Kate, you need to calm down," I say, not at all happy with her negative reaction. James thought it would be funny. I think it's scary. "Why do you care so much? You and him are over. Way over."

"Oh, yeah. What was the name of that guy you hooked up with in the army? Rory? What if I up and decided to marry Rory?"

"Rory is dead," I say maliciously. How dare she bring up Gibbs. She doesn't know anything about him. "James is alive. I don't love him, Kate. This isn't about love. This is about Ji Yeon and what Sun wanted."

"Did you and Sun ever have a conversation about this?" Kate counters. "No, you didn't. Just because she write your name on a piece of paper, that doesn't mean you get to dictate everything. You're not the only one who cares about Ji Yeon."

Looking at her frustrated face and hearing these words, everything starts to make sense. "You're jealous," I say.

"What are you talking about?" Kate counters. Claire's face jumps between the two of us.

"That's why you haven't been supporting this whole thing. The custody battle. You handed me Forrester and then you stepped back. You're pissed that Sun didn't leave you anything."

"Well, I'm certainly not happy about it," she says. "She names you her business successor. You're Ji Yeon's godmother. Why did she trust you so much?"

"Because I never abandoned her, Kate!" I yell, getting frustrated myself. "After we thought Jin had died, she ran home. She never blamed Jack, she never blamed you. Hurley and I were the only ones who stuck by her side. We were there after Ji Yeon was born. And after Hurley was put back in Santa Rosa, I stuck around. She trusted me more than she trusted you. Get over it."

"Woah, Tia," Claire says, standing up. "Calm down."

"Oh, don't you dare try and defend her," I say, pointing to Kate. "I know it's not your fault, but you haven't been around, Claire. You missed a lot these last three years. Just because you two are playing 'World's Best Mommy Duo' doesn't mean you get to jump in and try to change the reality." I turn back to Kate. "I didn't know what to expect when I told you, but it certainly wasn't this. At the very least, I thought you'd be there to support me. But I guess that isn't the case."

I turn around and let myself out of Kate's house. So much for James's assurance that she'd take it better if he wasn't there.

I wish he was here.

* * *

"You're doing what?" Duncan yells at me.

"Why are you screaming? I thought you'd be pleased."

"Pleased that as soon as I tell you that you need a husband, you go and get engaged? This is the epitome of illegal."

"There's nothing illegal about this," I explain. "James and I love each other. Yeah, it's not like 'husband and wife' love, but we would do anything for each other. And just because we platonically share a bed every night, instead of the alternative, that means we can't get married?"

"If the courts figure out you've done this just to get custody of that kid—,"

"But they won't. James and I have multiple witnesses to our relationship. He lives in my house. For all the courts know, that's because we're a couple, and have been for months."

"See, this works on paper," Duncan explains. "But have you ever dealt with court systems? They're ruthless. They will work tirelessly and endlessly to keep things from going your way. And if you think it'll be any easier in Korean court, you are very wrong, my friend. Very wrong indeed."

"I didn't say this was going to be easy. James knows how to handle a court. I'm not worried."

"How?" Duncan asks.

"How what?"

"How does James know how to handle a court? He has no criminal record. He's never served on a jury. He's certainly not a lawyer. What kind of case has he dealt with?"

And here I go, forgetting that the James I know is not the James the rest of the world knows. "Just trust me," I say, pulling every ounce of assurance I can into my words. "James LaFleur knows how to handle a court, whether he's been in one or not."


	4. Flashback: Death and Passports

The brightness of the morning sunrise is what woke me up that first day completely separated from the Island. The bright orange, red, pink, and blue all churning together like a beautiful painting. It even took me a minute to remember the events of the previous week, it was so beautiful.

Beside me, Sawyer stirred, the brightness shining right on his eyelids. Everyone is still asleep, except for Richard and myself. I stand and sit beside this mysterious man. "What do you think is gonna happen to me?" he asks.

"I don't know what you mean."

"I'm aging again," he explains. "Miles found a gray hair on my head. What do you think happens when we die?"

I look out onto the ocean and come to a realization. "That's why Jacob made you immortal. You were afraid of death."

He just nods his head.

"I don't know what happens after we die," I say to Richard. "But I would hope after everything we've been through, that we would get some kind of reward for it."

"I've killed people," Richard says. "I first killed a man before I ever came to the Island. I was afraid that my soul would be given to the Devil. But now I'm not so sure."

"I don't think I believe in Hell. Or Heaven. As for what I do believe, well there was this one time on the Island, right before Ana Lucia and Libby were killed. I sat at Boone's grave and demanded to know why he left me. It started to rain and the tree shifted, covering me and the grave from the rain." I sit and think about this memory. "You know, I'd completely forgotten about that until just now."

"I'm not sure what you're trying to tell me," Richard says.

"I don't know, man. Maybe that the people we love are still around, looking after us. But we just don't realize it until we're gone ourselves."

"I'm sure you meant that to be comforting, but really, it was just distressing."

"Yeah, advice really isn't my strong suit."

"_Huuuurley!_" The bird screeches above us again.

"Do not tell me that son of a bitch is back," Sawyer mumbles, putting his arms around his head. Kate and Frank both stir, Miles jolts awake, and Claire stays sound asleep. I guess years of living on this Island have made her immune to loud noises.

"_Huuuuurley!_" I see this bird above us. There's something in his claw and as soon as I notice this, the bag drops down beside me. Richard reaches around and grabs it.

"What the hell?" he says, pulling out passports and a large wad of cash along with a piece of white paper. I reach for the paper as Richard and Miles examine the passports.

_Hey dudes,_

_I'm glad you all made it off the Island okay. Ben helped me figure out how to get this message to you. Kate, I'm sorry about Jack. But he left me in charge. I'm gonna do everything I can to fix things here. I struck Kate's and Tia's names off of the Ajirah Flight manifest, so no one knows you were on it. And Frank, Ben managed to convince everyone that you'd slept in that morning. Luckily they hadn't released the names of the passengers and crew before Ben got to it. I didn't know what to do about Claire, Sawyer, and Miles. I can't fix the fact that the world thinks you're dead. I hope you can start over with these new identities. Desmond is alive and I'm gonna get him back to Penny as soon as he's well enough to travel. Locke really did a number on him._

_I'm probably not gonna see you guys for a long time. I'm not gonna make you come to the Island. I'm not Jacob. But I want you guys to know that if you ever need a home, I'm not hard to find. You can always come back to the Island. _

_Later dudes, _

_Hurley _

Sawyer grabs the letter from my hand as I finish and reads it aloud to everyone. I grab the passports from Richard and read off the names. Tia Samuels, Kate Austen, Richard Alpert, Frank Lapidus, and the new identities, Miles Chang, James LaFleur, and Claire Pace. As Sawyer finishes the letter, I hand the passports to their respective people, keeping my own.

"So what now?" Miles asks. "How the hell are we gonna get to Fiji?"

"Why Fiji?" Kate asks. "Why can't we just get to a populated Island?"

"Because this money is Fijian dollars," Richard explains.

"We take the raft," Frank decides. "We say that we were in a boating accident. We buy tickets to the states and we help each other start over."


	5. A Whole Lot of Why

I sit on my couch holding Hurley's letter, knowing full well that I should be studying, but I can't bring myself to do it. Not now that I may have made a huge mistake in agreeing to marry James. I thought it would help me, but all it's done is cause a rift with Kate and lost me the trust of Duncan.

Why did I agree to marry him? Was it because I'm scared I'll never find anyone with Boone's death still a lingering pain in my heart? Or is it because James is the one person I have left? Gil and Sonya moved to Ames, Iowa with Eliza, wanting to get away from the city. Donny stayed in Sacramento when I moved to Los Angeles with James. He's engaged to one of his old waitresses. After Donny disbanded Samuel's Investments International, I was left with one third of the settlements, half of which I gave to my niece, not knowing that I would need it to support Ji Yeon. Gil doesn't support my adoption of Ji Yeon. He thinks I'm doing it out of greed rather than a desire to comply with my friend's wishes. He's still the only one who knows the truth about the Island. He never told Donny, and I agreed, not wanting to give him any reason to worry about me. Gran developed Alzheimer's. I took James to meet her once and she didn't even recognize me. She tried to hit James with a pillow thinking it was a frying pan. It would have been funny if it wasn't so scary.

So now I have James. Claire and Kate live together, supporting Aaron. Frank moved back to the Bronx where he sometimes flies planes out of JFK. I don't know what happened to Richard. No one's heard from him in months. Miles is still around. He and James go out for beer sometimes. But he's not mine. Not like James is.

Sometimes I wonder if I should go back to the Island. Jacob had said that without it, I was flawed. I never really knew what my flaw was until now. I'm unable to deal with loss. I can't accept it. I can't move on from Boone, so I've attempted to replace him with James. I can't move on from Sun and Jin, so I attempt to take their daughter from her home. I've never been able to move on from my mother, so I have this incessant need to be one myself.

And now I wonder if I can move on from the Island. Is that why I keep James around? Because he's the last connection I have to that place?

The front door opens, bringing me out of my thoughts. Clementine runs through it and jumps into my lap as soon as I stuff the old letter into my jacket pocket. "Auntie Tia!" she says, hugging me around the neck. Over her shoulder, I see James walk through the doorway, carrying her bags and some groceries.

"I didn't know you were coming over today, Clem," I say, trying to breathe through her suffocation by hugs.

"Is it okay?" James asks, stopping on his way to the kitchen.

"Yeah, it's fine," I say, pulling Clem's arms off of me. "I just wanted to talk to you about something."

"Clementine, come help me put the groceries away," he calls, coming out of the kitchen. Clem bounces towards the door and James shuts it behind her. "I thought we could tell her today," James explains. "Did you tell Kate and Claire?"

"Yeah, I did, but maybe we should slow down."

"What're you talking about?"

"It's just…I talked to Duncan and—," a loud crash from the kitchen sounds, cutting me off.

"Dammit," James mumbles. "What did you do, Clem?" he says, walking into the other room.

I get up and follow him through the door. A large box of cereal landed on the floor, making a huge mess. Clementine is on top of the counter, the cupboard opened above her. Her face is red with embarrassment as James grabs the broom from behind the fridge.

"Sorry Aunt Tia," Clem mumbles.

I smile. "It's okay. But next time maybe put away the groceries you can actually reach." I pick her up off of the counter and place her on the ground, handing her a dustbin. She and James work to clean up the cereal. As I lean against the counter, I can hear the letter crinkle in my pocket. I should put it away.

I make to move, but James says, "Hey Clem, how about you go put your stuff in your room?" She places the dustbin on the breakfast nook and runs back out the door. He turns to me. "Now, what was that about slowing down?"

I sit on one of the bar stools, my hand clamped around Hurley's letter. "I talked to Duncan today, after I got out of Kate's place. He said this makes no difference. The Korean courts aren't going to grant us custody just because we get married. The only way I'm going to get Ji Yeon is if I use the company transfer Sun left me, and even then who am I to assume Paik would give up his granddaughter for his company? I can't ask anyone to make that choice, even a man like him."

James sits down next to me. "Does this have anything to do with Freckle's reaction?"

"Not entirely," I admit, unable to lie to him.

"Dammit, Brown Eyes, I do not love her anymore," he says. "I said the same thing to Horace back in the 70s. Three years, it was long enough. I still love Juliet, just as much as you still love Boone."

"Why do you want this to happen so badly?" I ask. "Why is this something you need to do?"

James gazes after Clementine's figure, a look of sadness in his eyes. "I'm doin' it for her," he admits.

"What?" I ask, confused.

"Cassidy doesn't trust me. She wants me in Clem's life, but that's it. A weekend here, a weekend there. I want more. I never thought I was Dad Material. But now that I'm here, now that she's with me, I want Cassidy to grant me shared custody. I can't fight the courts for it. I'm not James Ford anymore. James LaFleur doesn't have a daughter. But if Cassidy is gonna grant me shared custody, she won't let me do it alone."

"So all that stuff you said about Ji Yeon needing me and doing what Sun wanted? That was just your way of getting me to help you?"

"No, not at all. You're the one who brought up marriage, remember? I saw an opportunity and I took it. We've got to do this Tia, to get what we both want."

I look him in the eye, dead set on my next decision. "No we don't."


	6. Flashback: Yet Another Airport

After a whole lot of paddling, we make it to the shore of a small island village. No one in our group speaks their language, but through bits of communication, we manage to explain that we need to get to Fiji. They lead us to a small short-range boat that takes us to the shores of Nadi Island, containing the airport where we decide where to purchase tickets.

"What's everyone's plan?" Miles asks.

"I'm headed back to New York," Frank says. "Hopefully I've still got some sort of job with JFK. Not exactly ideal, but I do miss my Yankee's games."

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Richard says. "Maybe I'll try and track down some of the latent DHARMA warehouses that are left. Maybe catch up with Eloise. You said she was in Los Angeles?" Kate and I nod our heads.

"What about you, Claire?" Miles asks. She just turns around, her dread-locked hair still a nappy mess on the top of her head. Kate follows her and I make the move too, but Sawyer grabs my hand, making me stop.

"I think this is something they've got to do for themselves, Brown Eyes."

"You think Kate is the only one who still cares about Claire?" I counter, taking my hand out of his grip.

I follow Kate and Claire, who have walked over to the bathroom. Claire is in tears as Kate rubs her shoulder. "I shouldn't have come," Claire says over the tears. "Aaron won't know me. He won't understand. Just look at me! Look at what that Island did to me." She stares at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. "You know, I haven't seen my own face in years," she says, her breathing calming down. "Just look at my hair."

Kate lets out a chuckle. "We can fix your hair," she says. "Come on." She leads Claire out of the bathroom and across the airport over to a small hair salon in their shopping center. Kate makes Claire an appointment as I explain our dirty attire by playing it off as a week-long backpacking trip. The stylist cuts off Claire's dreads, giving her a small bob, rinsing out all of the dirt and grime. Twenty minutes later, Claire's blonde hair is shiny and clean, albeit shorter, but more like the old Claire. Kate and I start to see a change in her immediately. The way she maneuvers around people at the airport, no longer like she's scared of them. The way she Laughs at jokes again and doesn't smirk. The darkness that was in her eyes starts to leave her the further she gets from her past on the Island.

Richard and Frank arrange their flights to New York and Portland respectively as Kate, Claire, Sawyer, Miles, and I get tickets and boarding passes to LAX. As the plane takes off in the air, I look out into the Pacific Ocean and see, just for a second, a large Island in the distance. But it's gone so fast, my eyes believe it was a trick.


	7. Clementine

"You're doin' what?" James asks me.

"I'm going to the Island. It's the only thing that makes—."

"Can we go to the park?" Clementine asks, running back into the kitchen. I fix my composure, standing up straighter and planting a smile on my face. James is a little delayed. "Dad?" Clem asks him.

"Um, not just right now, Clem."

"Actually," I counter. "The park sounds like a great idea. How about you go put your sneakers on?"

Clementine squeals with excitement, running back to her room. "What the hell, Tia?" James exclaims.

"I've told you my plan," I say. "There's no way you're gonna change my mind. So let's just take Clem out one last time together. Try and be normal for once."

"There ain't nothing about this situation that's normal. You're talking about kidnapping a child from her grandparents to a place that killed her parents."

"That's not what I'm doing. I never said I was taking Ji Yeon. I'm doing this for me. I can't play house anymore, James. I can't be a second mom to Clementine. And I can't have Kate hate me forever. All I've done is make things worse. How do I know that Ji Yeon isn't safe with the Paiks? She's a hell of a lot safer with them than she is with me. I don't know what I was thinking, but I can't raise a child, not the way I am now."

James starts to protest again, but Clementine is back in the kitchen, sneakers tight on her feet, ready for a fun day at the park. I've grown to care for Clem, maybe even love her, like I love James. But I can't do this anymore. All I've done since I came back is been a force that tears things apart. Kate from James, Ji Yeon from the Paiks, Clementine from Cassidy. I can't do this anymore. Jacob was right. I am flawed, and the only thing that can fix me is the Island. I can't do anything until I'm whole again, no longer flawed.

I wrap my hand around Clementine's and James and I walk her out the door. I'm ready to soak in every moment of this day. It may very well be my last playing house.


	8. Flashback: James Meets His Daughter

The movement of the mattress wakes me instantly. The reflexes of living on the Island still haven't left me and instinctively, I reach for a gun that isn't there. "Calm down," he says. "It's just me."

I turn over. "What are you doing, Sawyer?"

"You're supposed to call me James now."

I roll my eyes. "I said what are you doing here?"

He takes a deep breath and sinks his head into the pillow. "I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes I see her face. Juliet's. I guess I'm so used to sleeping beside someone, I can't fall asleep without the comfort." His eyes plead with me. "You gonna make me leave?"

I lay back down. "Only if you snore."

He chuckles. "No promises," he jokes, sliding his hand into mine.

* * *

"You nervous?" I ask.

"What do you think?" he snaps, buttoning his shirt. "Last time I saw Cassidy I told her I'd never be a father. I told her to get lost. All this in prison garb. Woman hates my guts." He sinks into my couch. "I don't even know why I'm doing this."

I move over beside James and put my arms around his shoulders. His head rests on top of my own. "You're doing this because you care. That's why you set the money aside. You're a good person. You've changed since then. If Cassidy can't see that, then she's crazy."

James sighs. "You don't know Dimples."

"Dimples?" I ask, rolling my eyes. "You and your nicknames."

My doorbell rings and my head shoots up. "Are you ready to meet your daughter?"

* * *

Cassidy had Clementine wait in the car with Kate. She wanted to meet James first. "Hello, Sawyer," was the first thing she said as I let her in.

"You can't call me that anymore," he says, standing up from the couch.

Cassidy turns to me. "You must be Tia. I recognize you from the news."

I smile and motion to the couch. "Would you like to sit down?" She nods, walking towards James, her face kind, but her body language stating that she's ready for anything. A hug, an attack, whatever James may throw at her. I don't know the specifics of their past relationship. All I know is that James had conned her out of a couple grand. She had him arrested before she realized she was pregnant. When she told him, he wasn't ready for this. It's been seven years since that day.

James and Cassidy talk. I stay in the kitchen for most of the conversation, not wanting to intrude. I don't hear everything. The only thing I can clearly make out is James's plea to at least have the chance to meet his daughter. That enough has happened to him that he's ready to be there for her. I hear the front door open and I make my way back into the living room. James is sitting on the couch, his hands shaking. "What's happening?" I ask.

"She's gonna let me meet my daughter," James says. I want to jump for joy, but I know that will freak him out.

"Clem," Cassidy says when she's back at the door, leading a little blonde child into the house. "This is James."

I look at James's face, and a look I have never seen is plastered to it. I couldn't describe it if I tried. I decide to give them some privacy and run back into the kitchen.

It doesn't take long and Cassidy comes in after me. "Thanks for this," she says.

"For what?" I ask. "All I did was set up a meeting place."

"No, you've done more than that," she insists. "And if you're around, I've got no problem with Clem visiting from time to time. You are gonna be around, right?"

"You never know what's gonna happen in the future," I say, not wanting to lie to her.

"No, I've seen the way you two look at each other. I don't think you're going anywhere."

"We're just friends," I insist. "Nothing more. That's never going to change. We're both in love with different people."

"Yeah, he told me about Juliet just now. And Kate explained your situation to me on the ride over. Just know that I think you're good for him. You've helped make him into a better person."

"That was all Juliet."

"I bet you've done more than you know."


	9. The First Time In a Long Time

Clementine runs around with the other kids on the playground in the park. James is thoroughly upset with me and my decision. "I don't get why you won't just stay. Stay and help me convince Cassidy that I can take are of Clem."

"I've told you a million times, Cassidy trusts you now, you don't need me to get shared custody."

James falls back into the bench. "When did life become about custody fights and school and getting a job? Feels like yesterday I was running through the Jungle of Mystery trying to avoid an Other or a polar bear or whatever the hell decided to attack us."

"I know what you mean," I say.

"Why would you want to go back to that?"

"But it's not like that anymore, James. Hurley is in charge now. He wouldn't let those things happen."

"You haven't spoken to Hugo in five months. What makes you think he's even doing anything?"

Before I can answer a woman walks up, a little boy, presumably her son, is holding on to her hand. "Excuse me," she says to James. "Is that your daughter over there, on the swing set?" She points to Clementine.

"Sure is," James says, looking over at his daughter.

"You two have a lovely child. Bruce here didn't want to stop playing with her."

"Oh, actually, she's not mine."

"I didn't mean to assume—,"

"No, you're fine," I say. "It's a complicated situation. Anyone could make that mistake."

James frowns as the woman says goodbye and walks away. "What now?" I ask him.

"You're so quick to distance yourself," he says. "You may not be her mom, but you're her family now whether you like it or not."

I roll my eyes. "There's nothing you can say to convince me to stay. I told you that. So stop trying."

* * *

After a full day of playing in the park, Clem was exhausted. James had to carry her to the door because she had fallen asleep on the walk home. James slept with me every night, but we agreed that when Clem was over, we wouldn't do that. We didn't want her to get the wrong idea.

I was almost asleep when I heard my door creak open, James's silhouette around the frame. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Clem's here. You know the rules."

"I'm tired of the rules Brown Eyes," he says, climbing in beside me. "We've made all of these rules, convinced ourselves we were too broken to move on. I'm gonna prove you wrong." By now he's above me, his arms holding him up. He lowers his head and lays his lips against mine. I want to protest, but…it's nice. It's been so long since I've kissed someone. So long since I'd been intimate. Almost four years. Never in a million years would I imagine that I would enjoy kissing Sawyer Ford, the reckless redneck of Oceanic 815. My arms make their way into his hair, entwining it with my fingers. He starts to unbutton his shirt. "Do you want me to stop?" he asks.

"No."


	10. Flashback: Emotionally Damaged

"So what, you two are living together?" I overhear Miles say to James.

"Yes, Ghostbuster, we are," James says. "But I don't see how that's any of your business."

"Hey, you're my friend, man. I just don't want to see you jump into water you can't swim in. That chick is emotionally damaged. Jin told me all about her. First that guy from the crash, and there's no way you can convince me nothing happened between her and Sayid."

"Nothing did happen between her and Sayid. Sayid got married when they got off the Island then he went on a killing spree."

"Whatever, man. But Tia, she's emotionally damaged. And after Juliet, you're not so hot yourself. I'm just looking out for you."

"I don't need you to look after me. You don't know her, but I do. Maybe being with her will help me through this, you ever think of that?"

"Yeah, a million times. And the only outcome I can find is serious regret for the both of you."

I've heard enough. I make my presence known by clanking the beer bottles I went to get for us and act like I never heard a thing. Because Miles is right. I am emotionally damaged and I'm digging myself a hole I may not be able to crawl out of.


	11. The Lamp Post Again

James has fallen asleep beside me. I wish that I could sleep as soundly, but I can't. I can't believe what I've just done, and with Clementine in the other room. I wonder what James will feel when he wakes up. Will he feel like he betrayed Juliet? I don't necessarily feel like I've betrayed Boone. More like I wish the man beside me was Boone.

If this has taught me anything, I realize now that I do not love James, and I never will. He is my best friend, but nothing more.

And I know now that I can't marry him.

But I can't leave him.

I sit up and do my best to sneak out of the bed without waking him. In my living room, everything still looks the same. James's jacket is strewn across the chair. I walk into the kitchen and the dustbin I sat on the counter is still there. I step on something and reach down. It's a cheerio, one that Clementine dropped. I open the cabinet and pull out the box containing the remaining cherrios and pour myself a bowl, returning to the living room to sit.

On the coffee table is the letter from Hurley. I munch on my cereal as I stare at the letter. I want to go back to the Island. But I don't want to stay. I remember how Hurley had a conversation with Michael's ghost. What if Boone is still on the Island? What if Juliet is too? Or Jack and Charlie? Maybe all of us that are off the Island need to help the ones who may not be able to move on. Those damn whispers. That's what they were.

And I gave Boone his necklace back.

* * *

James comes out of the room about an hour later. "Why'd you leave?" he asks me, then notices the letter beside my computer, Google Maps pulled open to the location of a church. One I've only been to once. "The hell are you doin', Brown Eyes?"

I take a deep breath. "Could you sit down?" I ask.

"No, tell me what you're doin'," he demands. "You trying to get back to that damn rock?"

"James, please sit down. I don't think you understand."

He looks at me with frustration before sitting in the chair on the other side of the room, distancing himself. "I am gonna try to get back to the Island, but not for the reasons you think. There was this night, the night we came to Locke's camp two days before we left. Hurley talked to Michael."

James's eyes flash. "Mike's dead. He died on that freighter."

"I know. But if Hurley can talk to him, maybe he could talk to Boone."

He pauses for a minute before talking. "I thought that you would want to stay now. What about Ji Yeon?"

"Boone's not the only person I need to talk to," I say. "Kate's right. I need to know what Sun really wanted."

"What about me?"

And there it is. I knew he wouldn't let me leave without this conversation. "James—,"

"I understand that this is something you need to do, Tia. But the fact that you would just screw me and then take off—,"

"It's not like that," I try to explain, walking over to him. "I'll be back, I promise. And we'll get you shared custody of Clem, together."

"What will I do in the meantime?"

"Tell Cassidy that I'm on an internship in New York. She won't question it. I'm coming back James. I promise."

It takes me forever to find that damn church. I had to retrace the car ride I had with Ben just under a year ago from the pier. When I do find the church, it takes me a minute to muster up the courage I need to do what needs to be done.

I walk inside. Last time I was here there were hundreds of candles lit around the sanctuary. Eloise Hawking stood at the front of the room, but there's no one there now. No candles, no Eloise. It's just a large, dark, cold room.

I walk through the door leading to a staircase. At the bottom of the stairs is the DHARMA logo for the Lamp Post station. Behind it, I can hear the swoosh of the pendulum. If Eloise isn't here, someone is.

I turn the knob and walk into the dimly lit room. The pendulum over the giant map swings, making lines on the globe. Computers still print out tons of numbers. And over at Eloise's desk…

"Richard?" I ask, thoroughly confused.

He jumps up from his chair, startled. "Tia? What the hell are you doing here?"

He looks different than the last time I saw him. It's only been five months, but already his hair has dozens of silver flecks. His eyes are now home to crow's feet and he has a large amount of scruff, not quite a beard. "I need to talk to Hugo," I tell Richard. "Is there a way I can contact him?"


	12. Logistics Division

Richard stares at me in shock for a couple of minutes. "Um, Richard?" I say. "I said I needed to talk to Hugo."

"How did you find this place?" he asks me.

"This is where I met Eloise Hawking. She helped us figure out how to get back to the Island in this room." I pause for him to reply, but he says nothing. "Where is she?" I ask. "Eloise?"

"She died," Richard says, sitting back down. "After I shut down the Mittlos Bio-Science cover in Portland I came out here to see her and she was gone. Apparently she didn't take the death of Charles Widmore very well."

"That…sucks," I say. Honestly, I really don't have an opinion on the subject. Eloise creeped me out. Doesn't matter if she's in her twenties or in her sixties. I wasn't much of a fan.

"Why do you need to talk to Hugo?" Richard asks.

"Because he's the only one who can help me."

"Help you with what?"

I roll my eyes. "It's personal. Can you help me, Richard, or not?"

He turns back to his computer. "I don't know how to contact Hugo. I can, however, get you to Ben."

"Ben? Why would I want to talk to Ben?"

"Because he's Hugo's second in command."

"And if I get to Ben, I can get to Hugo?"

"Probably," he says. "No guarantees. Ben's been shutting down the remaining DHARMA stations around the world. He should be in Guam in two days."

"Guam?" I ask, remembering the Ajirah Flight. "You've got to be kidding."

"'Fraid not," he says, going back to his computer. "I can give you the address of the DHARMA station if you want, but that's all I can do."

"How do you know all of this, Richard? If Eloise was dead, how did you—,"

"Ben was here when I came to find her. Since there was no one to take her place, he was going to shut down the Lamp Post. Then he offered me a job. I really don't have anything here, in the real world. So I took it. Ben's been keeping me updated on his progress." He pauses for a moment before continuing. "You know, I feel like I've answered every one of your questions. How about you answer some of mine."

"I've reached this point and I'm not sure how to move forward," I say, choosing my words carefully. I'm not ready to discuss the events of last night with James, especially with Richard Alpert.

"And Hugo can help you figure out where to go?"

"Kinda."

Richard picks up a pen and writes down an address. "Here's the location of the DHARMA warehouse," he says, handing me the paper. "I'd book a flight soon because I don't know where Ben will be after this."

* * *

My stomach was still churning from the plane ride over to Guam. I still really hate flying in them. Two plane crashes will do that to you.

Guam really is a beautiful place, and I take everything in on my taxi ride over to the address Richard gave me.

I pay the driver and get out of the car. On a sign above the entrance to the warehouse, Hanso Logistics Division was printed. The name Hanso was vaguely familiar. I started walking up to the front door, when a voice stops me.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

I turn towards the voice and find the face of Ben Linus, who looks thoroughly confused. "You know, that's the third time I've been asked that this week."

"Did you ever answer the question?" he snaps.

"I came to find you," I explain. "Richard told me you could help me get to Hugo."

"You found Richard at the Lamp Post?"

"Yup. He gave me the address of this warehouse. Said you could help me."

"You want to come back to the Island?"

"Only if it can help me. And not if I have to stay. I promised someone I'd come back."

Ben rolls his eyes. "You mean James?"

I feel a flash of anger. The entire flight over I'd been convincing myself that I could be civil with Ben and that I wouldn't let him get under my skin. "How did you know about that? You keeping tabs on us?"

"You've got the wrong idea," Ben defends, holding up his hands. "I saw you and James in the park about a month ago in Los Angeles. I just assumed—,"

"You need to stop doing that."

He grins sheepishly, a weird look for him. "I'm getting better." He turns from me and starts walking into the warehouse. "You coming or what?"

I jog to catch up. "What are you doing here anyway? Is this DHARMA?"

"Yes. I don't really have time to explain, so could you just play along?"

I nod as he leads me inside. Piles and piles of DHARMA food is being processed and packaged. Labels are being printed out. Two men are in the center of the large room, apparently having some sort of argument. "We're gonna miss our launch window. I don't wanna be up half the night loading damn boxes," one of them says. They're both wearing DHARMA jumpsuits, naming the one guy Glen and the other Hector.

"Excuse me," Ben says to the two men. They both look up, surprised to see him. I fall back and try to blend into the background.

"Who the hell are you two?" Glen asks. "How'd you get in here?"

Ben takes off his shoulder bag and places it on one of the many tables. "My name is Benjamin Linus. This is my associate Tia Samuels. We're from the Home Office."

"Nobody from the Home Office has ever come out here," Hector says.

"There's a new man in charge, he sent me."

"Sent you to do what?"

"Tie up a few loose ends. Your services are no longer required, gentlemen. We're closing this place down. So, you're free to go."

"But we've been loading the palettes under the drones for twenty years now." Glen says.

"What are we supposed to do?" Hector asks.

Ben reaches into his bag and pulls out two envelopes. "This is your severance pay. I'd say you can do pretty much anything you want."

"So, you work with the DHARMA Initiative?" Glen asks.

Ben makes a confused expression. "The DHARMA Initiative hasn't existed in almost twenty years."

Hector looks at me. "Is that true?" I nod. "But it can't be. We still get a teletype before every drop."

"It's automated," Ben answers. "Comes from the Lamp Post station in LA. There hasn't been a person posted there since you two started. That's why the man in charge has me going around, closing up shop."

I shoot Ben a look, since I know full well Eloise manned the station for years and Richard is there now. He gives me a look of his own, telling me to keep quiet.

"Lamp Post station?" Glen asks.

Ben grins. "I've already said more than I should've. Before you leave, please lock the doors, turn out the lights."

Ben starts to walk back towards me, but Hector stops him. "Wait. You can't just walk out of here. We deserve answers!"

Ben turns back around. "All right. Before I go, I'll let you each ask a question. But just one. So, make it count."

"Where have we been sending these palettes?" Glen asks. "Where are they dropped?"

"An Island."

"How's that possible? The coordinates are different every time."

"The Island moves."

"How does the Island—,"

"Uh-uh! One question," Ben stops him and turns to Hector. "Your turn."

"We're on Guam. So this Island is somewhere in the tropics, right?" Hector runs over to a pallet and picks it up. I move closer so I can see it. "So explain this. Polar bear biscuits. How is there a polar bear on a tropical Island?"

"Polar bears, actually," I say. "There were definitely more than one."

Hector gives me a confused look as Ben shuffles through his pack, pulling out a CD case. "You guys have a DVD player?"

Glen fetches the DVD player as Ben opens a granola bar and munches. "So we watch it together and then we all leave. Is that a deal?" Ben asks.

"Deal."

"Deal."

The video starts playing, showing that familiar logo stamped on everything in this room. "Sorry about the quality," Ben says. "It's a transfer from an old Betamax."

_Orientation_

_Station 1_

_The Hydra_

My old friend Pierre Chang shows up on the screen, ready to give me a history lesson. "_Hello, I am Dr. Pierre Chang. This is the orientation video for station one of the DHARMA Initiative, the Hydra. For purposes of security, please do not divulge my name to any outside parties. I wouldn't want to have to resort to using an alias in the future. The chief purpose of this station is to conduct biological and behavioral research on various animal, bird and marine subjects. Here are some of the duties you may be asked to perform. Genetic alteration. These fascinating hybrids, or "hy-birds" as we call them, will be released and monitored to see how they adapt to the unique properties of the Island- successful advanced studies in larger mammals. Ursus maritimus, or polar bears, possess a keen sense of memory and adaptability. These traits make them ideal candidates for electromagnetic studies that will be conducted at a secondary site where their comfort in cold temp—," _Chang's video has a splice_._ _It's important when dealing with the bears that you do not show affection or become attached in any way. Also, do not underestimate their intelligence and cunning. These rules must always be followed. I repeat, the bears are not your friends. Rewarding the bear with a fish biscuit, once it has successfully performed a complex puzzle. After the training is completed, you will tranquilize the bear. Affix this tracking device around the subject's neck. At which point it will be transported to the Orchid station for the next phase of research. Remember, be sure to confirm that the female bears have not been impregnated before transport, as the electromagnetic levels at the Orchid have an extremely harmful effect on early term gestation. As you've already learned, we do animal research here at Hydra. Unfortunately, one must consider the most dangerous animal of all, humans. And so, there is another more secluded test site, where we are conducting significantly more sensitive work. The Island's indigenous population, some of you may have heard them referred to as "Hostiles", are acquired on the main Island, sedated and brought here, to Room 23. Because the subjects are unwilling participants, security personnel should always be present during these sessions. Under no circumstances are you to engage subjects in conversation. The purpose of these interrogations is to better understand the Hostiles' way of life, their origins, and particularly their worship of an Island deity they refer to as "Jacob". After the research team has concluded their tests, inject this into the back of the subject's neck. Then place these goggles over his or her eyes. Hitting this switch will commence the visualization while the drugs take effect._ There's a loud sound that plays in the background that Chang yells over. _The dream-like quality of the film combined with the cutting edge pharmaceuticals will create an amnesia of sorts. Any memory of his or her interrogation will be effectively wiped clean. While these interrogative measures may seem extreme, rest assured, they are vital...our temporary truce with the Hostiles is not violated. This concludes your orientation of the Hydra station. Do not discuss the nature of these experiments with other members of the Initiative. Enjoy your time here on Hydra Island. Namaste and good l_—,"

Ben turns the video off and I jump up from my seat.

"I think we're gonna need to see that again," Hector mumbles.

"Sorry, we're out of time," Ben apologizes.

"What did they do to those bears? And what the hell's a "Hostile"?"

"Goodbye, gentlemen," Ben says, ignoring Hector. "I have another call to make. Namaste."

Ben gives me a look and I bow my head. "Namaste."


	13. Two Old Friends

As Ben led me out of the warehouse, I noticed him slip a granola bar into his shoulder bag. "Why only one question?" I asked him.

"Excuse me?"

"Why did you only let them ask one question?"

"If you give them a little bit of what they want, they're more compliant. I've been dealing with this for a couple of months. It's why Hugo made me convert all of those Betamax tapes."

"So are you gonna take me to him now? To Hugo?"

"Hugo is waiting for me in Los Angeles."

I let out a huff. "You've got to be kidding me. I rode that plane for nothing?"

"I wouldn't call it nothing. Don't tell me you didn't learn anything today."

"Nothing I could have survived without."

Ben let out a chuckle. "You never were very curious."

* * *

Ben drove from LAX to a familiar location. "Santa Rosa? What are we doing here?" I asked, confused. "Hurley's not back here, is he? I thought he was the new Jacob?"

"Hugo's not inside," Ben said. "He's over there." He pointed to a bench under a palm tree.

My old friend sat on the bench, a smile lighting up his face when he notices I'm with Ben. He gets up off the bench and walks over, sliding into the backseat. "Hey, Ben." Hurley greets.

Ben smiles. "I'll go get him."

As Ben gets out of the car, I follow him, sliding into the backseat with Hurley. He just smiles. "Aren't you going to ask me what the hell I'm doing here?"

Hurley chuckles. "Naw, dude. I figured you'd tell me yourself."

I take a deep breath. "I want you to give me a gift."

Hurley's eyebrows squint. "What kind of gift?"

"I want to talk to the dead."

"I don't understand."

"You were able to do it," I explained. "Before we came back to the Island. You talked to Charlie and Boone. When we got back, you talked to Michael. I want to do that too."

"I still don't understand. I thought you were happy off the Island."

"I'm confused and I'm not sure what to do next."

"Who do you want to talk to?"

"Sun and Jin."

"That's it?"

"Maybe a few more people."

Hurley let out a breath. "Is this about you and Sawyer?"

"This is about Ji Yeon," I say, still not ready to talk to anyone about the James thing. Also not entirely happy that both Ben and Hugo knew so much about my life even though they hadn't been a part of it in five months. "I just need to talk to Sun and Jin."

Hurley nods, looking out the window. "I can get you back to the Island," Hurley says. "Now be cool, dude. He's here."

I follow his gaze. Ben walks out of the mental institution with probably the last person I'd expect.

"Is that Walt?"

"Yup."

I turn back to Hurley. "What's going on, Hugo?"

"Obviously Walt's not doing so good," Hurley says. "When Locke was here, trying to get the Oceanic Seven to come back to the Island, he visited Walt too."

"Yeah, I knew about that. But how did he end up here?"

"Locke knew Michael had died on the freighter, but he lied to Walt about it. Told him that Michael was still on the freighter and still alive. After Walt figured out the truth, he went a little…bad." He hesitates. "I'm don't think I'm explaining this well, dude."

"So is Walt crazy?"

Hurley chuckles. "Most of the people in that building are far from crazy. Especially Walt." He's saved from answering much more as Ben and Walt climb in.

"Dude," Hugo greets Walt.

"Hurley," he says. "Tia?"

"It's great to see you, Walt," Hurley says and I smile.

"I kept hoping one day somebody would come back for me. They said I was crazy."

Hurley leans closer to our young friend. "You're not crazy, dude. Not even close. You just need to get back to the Island, that's all. It's where you belong. It's where you've always belonged."

"Why?"

"I wanna talk to you about a job," Hurley says, turning to our driver. "All right, Ben, let's get out of here. It's time for us all to go home."

Ben starts the engine and we drive off into the distance.


	14. Walt Asks Questions

We got back by submarine. That's all I know. Hurley convinced me to take a sedative orange juice of some kind. Walt didn't have to take it. I woke up outside. Somehow Ben managed to get me out of the sub and onto some sort of cot. Walt was sitting beside me when I woke up.

"Hurley didn't make you take the sedative?" I ask him, taking a bottle of water he hands me.

"No, he said I'd be able to handle the trip. Something about bearings and time-flashes."

I nod my head in understanding, remembering what happened to Desmond when he went off course. This was probably just a precaution in case I lost my constant. "Where is Hurley?"

"I don't know. I helped Ben carry you in here to this house." I look around of the first time and see that I'm inside one of the old Barracks houses. James told me that after three years of neglect, they'd become run-down, but this one looks like it's been fixed up and I could smell the remains of fresh paint. "Why didn't you ever come for me?" Walt asked, bringing me out of my observations.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't play dumb, Tia. How come you or Jack or anybody came to get me? You knew I had no parents. You knew my dad died. Why didn't you ever come to visit me?"

I take a deep breath, worrying that he won't understand. "Walt, you have to believe me. I had plans. The first time I got off the Island, I swear I had plans. Sun and I, we were planning to kill Ben and then I was gonna come find you, after I knew he was gone and you'd be safe."

"But you never killed Ben."

"Because Sun changed her mind. She thought Jin was dead, but then Ben proved he was alive and convinced her to come back. I only came back for her."

"You still could have visited me. Or written me a letter. I deserved to know the truth!" Walt said, his voice getting louder with every word.

"I did visit. The day Locke found you, I was there, but I was scared. I didn't want to deal with Locke so I ran. And I'm sorry, Walt. I'm so sorry."

Walt stares at his hands for a moment. "I got fed up with it," he says, twiddling his thumbs. "I was so upset at you guys for not coming for me. And after John visited me, I went to Hurley as Santa Rosa. I wanted to know why you lied."

"We lied for stupid reasons," I say. "Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if we hadn't lied, but we did and there's nothing I can do to change that."

Walt keeps looking at his hands as Hurley comes into the room. "Awesome, dude, you're awake!" he says. "You wanna come with me?"

I stand and walk over to him, Walt following me. But Hurley hold up his hand. "Not you, dude," he says to Walt. "Ben's coming here for you in a moment. He's gonna take you to your job." Walt looks a little uneasy at this but Hurley chuckles. "Don't worry about Ben, dude. He works for me now." Hurley turns and leaves the house and I follow him.

Outside the Barracks look basically the same as they did three years ago, except now, they're not yellow. Well, some of them are, but a bunch are now all different colors. Green, blue, pink…

"You like it?" Hurley asks. I shrug my shoulders. "Yeah, I guess you're not really here for the scenery."

"You know why I'm here," I say.

"Yeah," Hurley mutters, placing his hand on my shoulder and leading me to the tree line at the edge of the Barracks. "You're here for him."

At the edge of the tree line a brown tuft of hair peeks out, a pair of blue eyes pierce my own like I never thought they would again.

"Boone."


End file.
